It is known to terminate optical fibers by ferrule members at which optically flat exposed fiber ends may be formed to facilitate concentric seating in a bore of an alignment member adapted to be engaged by aligned optical fiber terminations at opposite ends, and thereby install a disconnectable optical fiber connection. Reference is made, for example, to AMP Incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,837.
It has also been proposed by GTE Laboratories in Technology News EDN Aug. 20, 1980, to provide a releasable two-part connector in each part of which a short length of optical fiber has one end centered in a bushing and the other end disposed in an elastomeric splice ferrule adapted to receive the end of an optical fiber in abutting relationship with the other end of the short fiber in a permanent connection. The arrangement is such that the bushings of the two parts are brought into engagement with the ends of the short fiber lengths in aligned face-to-face abutting relationship at an interface between the bushings.
It has also been proposed to interconnect or splice optical fibers by aligning end portions in a bore of a deformable alignment member and to deform the member about the fibers to secure them in aligned juxtaposition.